Voters above 80 years, Divyangs, Covid-19 suspects or affected Persons who are in Home or Institutional Quarantine will have the option of voting through Postal Ballots as absentee Voters. The Election Commission in its Revised Guidelines stated that an absentee Voter wishing to vote by Postal Ballot has to make an Application to the Returning Officer of the Constituency concerned during the period from the date of announcement of Election to Five days following the date of Notification of the Election. In the last Election that was held for the Bihar Assembly in December last, the Postal Ballot facility was extended to voters over 65 years of age, a category of Persons known to be most vulnerable to Covid-19, by amending an earlier Rule where the facility was available to those who are 80 years and above.
EC’s revised Guidelines say that “if any Elector at the time of Election is Hospitalized on account of Covid-19, in a Hospital within the State or is in Home/Institutional Quarantine on account of COVID-19 and hence not be in a position to cast vote personally at the Polling Station as per Medical advice and if such Elector makes request for issue of Postal Ballot, the RO concerned, on being satisfied about the genuineness of the Application, shall provide the Postal ballot to the Elector.” The Returning Officer will make arrangements to deliver Postal Ballot and to get the same collected after the Person concerned casts his Postal Vote, which would take place a day before the Regular Voting in that constituency.